[meteorite-list] Don't delay, order today! - Suspect Auction-Suspect ID@!

[Michael Murray]

I don't use ebay (I'm too stupid to figure it all out) so I have to  
ask, is this auction over?  Says Mar 31.  Or?  I would have thought  
this one to go for more than the starting bid figure.
Mike
On Mar 31, 2008, at 10:35 PM, Jason Utas wrote:

> I said:

>

>> The only slag that I've known to contain olivine was Seymchan, and

>> there's some debate as to whether that was actually waste, or, in

>> fact, a synthetic meteorite look-alike meant to confuse buyers.

>> The fact that the stone contains olivine means that either:

>

> *Not "Seymchan," but rather "Shirokovsky."

>

> On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 9:31 PM, Jason Utas  

> <meteoritekid at gmail.com> wrote:

>> Hello Elton, All,

>> Hardly; I just think it's stupid to rule any sample out completely

>> without a lab analysis.

>> There's no single feature on the stone being auctioned that would

>> suggest that it is not, in fact, a fresh mesosiderite individual, and

>> seeing as I am as qualified as you, if not better, to tell, I don't

>> see how you can realistically argue.

>> ...Or am I right:

>>

>> http://www.meteoriteguy.com/catalog/dong-ujimqin/520.9.htm

>>

>> The only slag that I've known to contain olivine was Seymchan, and

>> there's some debate as to whether that was actually waste, or, in

>> fact, a synthetic meteorite look-alike meant to confuse buyers.

>> The fact that the stone contains olivine means that either:

>>

>> 1) Someone went out of their way to purchase pieces of yellowish

>> olivine, and put it in some slag to fool potential buyers.   

>> Possible I

>> suppose, but this seems unlikely.

>>

>> 2) A synthetic replacement such as glass could have been used, but  

>> the

>> crystals pictured were not of a typical bottle colour, so some  

>> special

>> source must have been used...or maybe they mixed brown and green?

>> Either way, you're not looking at the typical scammer if they did  

>> take

>> the trouble to figure out the colour that the olivine should have

>> been.  Furthermore, if they'd taken the time/trouble to figure out as

>> much about meteorites, they would likely have figured out that their

>> stone wouldn't sell on ebay as-listed.  But I might be overestimating

>> the seller.  Or maybe slag typically contains large yellow-orange

>> crystals...no.

>>

>> 3) (Your suggestion here.)

>>

>> 4) It is a meteorite.

>>

>> Honestly, Elton, have a look at that picture for yourself.  The  

>> stones

>> are very similar in texture, though the ebay stone appears as bit  

>> more

>> oddly shaped.  That said, the stone pictured on Michael Farmer's page

>> is a fragment, and the stone on ebay appeared to be a complete,

>> ablated individual.  I assume that ablation would sculpt such a

>> heterogeneous stone admirably.

>> Jason

>>

>>

>> On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 8:10 PM, Mr EMan <mstreman53 at yahoo.com>  

>> wrote:

>>> Ha ha Funny... the Rorschach-Shroom Techinque of meteorite

>>> identification...Down to confirming orange olivine crystals-- in a

>>> mesosiderite no less--and fresh?  It is fresh from the slag pile!

>>>

>>> I've got petrified frog poop that looks more like a meteorite then

>>> this.

>>>

>>> Pleeease...this is an early April One-0 post, Right?

>>>

>>> Eman

>>> --- Jason Utas <meteoritekid at gmail.com> wrote:

>>>

>>>> Olah All,

>>>> Looks like a fresh mesosiderite.  I know, the shape is odd - but  

>>>> have

>>>> a look at fresh pieces of that Chinese mesosiderite fall Dong Umjim

>>>> Qui...or however it's spelled...they look rather similar to this,

>>>> though by the look of the orange crystals clearly visible on the

>>>> surface of this stone, this one has more olivine in it.

>>>

>>>

>>>> That said, it could also be an unusual piece of slag,<==gudanzer

>>>

>>> and I don't

>>>> feel like betting $1k on such a strange piece from a questionable

>>>> location...if I had more money, I might think otherwise.

>>>> Regards,

>>>> Jason

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 8:18 AM, Michael Murray

>>>> <mmurray at montrose.net> wrote:

>>>  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120236513887

>>>

>>> ______________________________________________

>>> http://www.meteoritecentral.com

>>> Meteorite-list mailing list

>>> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

>>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

>>>

>>

> ______________________________________________

> http://www.meteoritecentral.com

> Meteorite-list mailing list

> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list